Packaging with increased viewing area

ABSTRACT

Packaging made of a suitable see-through material is configured and arranged as a sealed enclosure with an interior cavity for holding a desired article for display through a viewing window. A flap body is made of a see-through flexible, somewhat resilient material and overlies at least a portion of the surface of the enclosure obscuring the portion in an unlifted state. The flap body bends or flips-up about a flexible hinge such that in a lifted state the inwardly facing surface of the flap body is available for viewing along with the obscured surface portion of the enclosure. Cardstock or other suitable sheet material upon which indicia may be printed or applied to both sides is carried in a pocket formed in the flap body such that in the unlifted position the indicia is viewable through the flap body outwardly facing surface and in the lifted position the indicia on the opposite side of the cardstock is viewable through the inwardly facing surface of the flap body along with the indicia on the obscured portion of the enclosure surface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to packaging and deals more particularly with an article holding and displaying package. More specifically, the invention provides for an increased viewing area for indicia and the like without increasing the size of the package.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is desirable to package an article, such as for example, a portable electronic device, a battery charger, an electrical connecting cord for data transmission, a music player, and other electronic devices and accessories well known and readily recognizable by the consuming public. It is further desirable to package such an article for sale display or storage in such a way that the article can be seen without opening the package. Typically, an information sheet or pamphlet explaining the operation of the article, such as an electronic device or accessory and/or application and compatibilities of the article is contained on an information sheet generally folded and included within the package. If the information relevant to the purchaser's intended use of the device is not printed or viewable on the exterior of the package, the purchaser must open the package to access such information and in many instances it is only then that the purchaser learns that the device or accessory is not suitable or compatible with the intended application or use. Consequently, the purchaser is left to either attempt to return the device or accessory to the seller in exchange for another device or accessory or to purchase another device or accessory to accommodate the intended function. The initial purchase of the unsuitable electronic device could have in a majority of instances been avoided if the information on the information sheet concealed inside the package was available for viewing at the time of purchase. Although some packaging provides for viewing of some information related to the article, for example on cardstock which may be viewable through transparent packaging, the amount of information presentable is in many cases limited to avoid increasing the size of the package particularly for smaller or miniature products and devices and thus the consumer is left to rely only upon the available limited information to make the purchasing decision.

It would be desirable therefore to provide a way for increasing the information presentation viewing area on a package without increasing the size of the package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a broad aspect of the invention, packaging made of a suitable see-through material is configured and arranged as a sealed enclosure with an interior cavity for holding a desired article for display through a viewing window. A cardstock or other suitable indicia carrying sheet material is arranged within the enclosure and viewable through the enclosure. A flap body has an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface and overlies at least a portion of the surface of the enclosure and in an unlifted state obscures a portion of the surface. The flap body is arranged to bend or flip-up about a flexible hinge formed at one end region of the flap body secured or otherwise attached to the enclosure such that in a lifted state the inwardly facing surface of the flap body is available for viewing along with the obscured surface portion of the enclosure. The flap body is made of a see-through flexible, somewhat resilient material. The flap body is formed with a pocket to receive cardstock or other suitable sheet material. Indicia may be printed or applied to both sides of the cardstock such that in the unlifted position the indicia is viewable through the flap body outwardly facing surface and in the lifted position the indicia on the opposite side of the cardstock is viewable through the inwardly facing surface of the flap body along with the indicia on the obscured portion of the enclosure surface. Thus the area for viewing indicia that is provided by the outwardly facing and inwardly facing surfaces of the flap body increases the viewing area of the package without increasing the size of the package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following written description and the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an example of an article packaging embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the article packaging of FIG. 1 showing the flap body partially flipped-up revealing the inwardly facing wall surface of the flap body and indicia carried on the cardstock within the flap body and other indicia carried on the cardstock within the packaging enclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross sectional view of the article packaging of FIG. 1 showing the flap body in a flipped up lifted position.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the flap body in an unlifted closed position nested in the recess in the enclosure surface.

WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings and considering the invention in further detail, packaging embodying the present invention is illustrated therein and generally designated 10. Although the present invention may be embodied in any suitable type packaging, for purposes of example, the packaging 10 shown in the drawings includes a front cover portion 12 and a rear cover portion 14 having a desired shape and configuration in accordance with the artistic and functional aspects of the packaging. In typical construction, the front cover portion 12 has a peripheral marginal edge region 16 shaped and configured for receiving the rear cover portion marginal edge region 18 so that the respective peripheral inner facing marginal regions are heat sealed, heat staked or otherwise bonded to one another to provide a sealed enclosure for holding the article in a secure, anti-theft manner as well known and understood by those skilled in the art. The front cover portion 12 and rear cover portion 14 are made of a suitable see-through material, such as plastic. The front cover portion 12 and rear cover portion 14 are configured and arranged to provide and define an interior cavity generally designated 20 for holding a desired article, for example, a data cord 22 which is not part of the invention but is however shown for purposes of illustration and explanation of the present invention. The front cover portion 12 is configured with a viewing window generally designated 24 for viewing the article 22 held and displayed in the interior cavity 20. The front cover portion 12 and the rear cover portion 14 may be formed and configured to a desired shape by any number of methods including thermal forming, molding, extruding or in other ways known in those skilled in the art.

Prior to heat staking or otherwise bonding the front cover portion 12 to the rear cover portion 14, cardstock or other suitable sheet material generally sized and shaped to a desired configuration and generally designated 26 is inserted so that any indicia, graphics or other such text 28 printed or otherwise applied to the surface of the insert cardstock is viewable through the wall surface of the front cover portion 12. Likewise, a suitable insert cardstock generally designated 30 having a desired shape conforming to the rear cover portion 14 is inserted such that indicia, text or graphics generally designated 32 is viewable through the wall surface of the rear cover portion 14 and includes an area generally designated 34 which area 34 lies substantially under the flap body 36 in its unlifted position as explained in further detail below.

In one example of the invention, the flap body 36 is made of a suitable see-through material such as a clear plastic, somewhat resilient material. The flap body 36 includes an unsecured free end region 38 and an oppositely disposed secured end region 40 attached or otherwise connected to the rear wall surface 42 of the rear cover portion 14 to form and define a flexible hinge generally designated 44. The flap body 36 is foldable about the flexible hinge axis 46 as the flap body 36 is moved from its unlifted position as shown in FIG. 4 to its lifted position as shown in FIG. 3. The flap body 36 includes a lifting tab 48 that is used to facilitate the lifting of the flap body 36. The lifting tab 48 is also used in the unlifted or closed position as a “snap” tab for retaining the flap body 36 against the rear cover portion.

The flap body 36 is configured and arranged such that a pocket is formed between the outwardly facing and inwardly facing wall surfaces to receive a cardstock insert generally designated 50. Indicia, graphics or other text generally designated 52 may be applied on one surface 54 of the cardstock 50 and other indicia, text or graphics 56 may be applied to an oppositely disposed surface 58 of the cardstock 50. The indicia 52 printed or applied on the surface 54 is viewable through the inner facing wall surface 60 of the flap body 36. The indicia 56 printed or applied on the surface 58 is viewable through the outer facing wall surface 62 of the flap body 36. It can be seen that an additional viewing area for indicia, text or graphics that may convey information concerning the article in the package is provided by means of the flap body 36. The indicia 52 carried on the surface 54 of the flap cardstock insert 50 and the indicia 56 carried on the surface 58 of the cardstock insert 50 is viewable in addition to the normally available rear insert area 34 lying under the flap body 36.

The rear cover portion 14 is further configured and arranged with a surface recess 64 in the rear cover portion surface 42 to accommodate and nest the flap body 36 such that the outer facing wall surface 62 of the flap body 36 and the rear cover portion surface 42 lie substantially in the same plane when the flap body 36 is in its unlifted position as shown in FIG. 4.

The rear cover portion 14 of the packaging 10 also includes standoff feet 66, 66 located in the lower portion region 68 of the packaging 10 and a hanging slot 70 located at an upper portion region 72 of the packaging 10 to facilitate hanging of the packaging on display hooks and to accommodate stacking.

It will be recognized that the packaging embodying the present invention may be of any geometric configuration other than that illustrated above for purposes of illustration and that multiple color and material combinations may be used to provide or convey the desired visible image for a given product or sales promotion. Likewise, the inner and outer covers, flap body, and cardstock inserts may be made of any suitable material to carry out the invention. Accordingly, the packaging embodying the present invention has been presented by way of illustration rather than limitation and includes all embodiments whether the features are taken singularly or in combination as contemplate in accordance with the invention and are considered to be within the specification. 

1. Packaging, comprising: an enclosure of a see-through material configured and arranged with an interior cavity for holding a desired article and a viewing window for displaying the article, and a flap body having an outwardly facing surface and an oppositely disposed inwardly facing surface and configured with a secured end region and oppositely located unsecured end region overlying at least a portion of a surface of said enclosure and arranged to lie against said at least a portion of said surface in an unlifted state such that said at least a portion of said surface is obscured and the outwardly facing surface of said flap body is viewable and to bend about a flexible hinge formed and defined at its secured end region in a lifted state such that said at least a portion of said surface is revealed and the inwardly facing surface of said flap body is viewable.
 2. The packaging as defined in claim 1 further comprising a first cardstock insert carried on the interior of said enclosure and viewable through said enclosure apart from a portion of said cardstock insert in alignment with said flap body in its unlifted state.
 3. The packaging as defined in claim 2 further comprising said flap body further configured and arranged with a pocket for receiving and carrying a second insert a first side of which is viewable through said flap body outwardly facing surface in said flap unlifted state and a second side which is viewable through said flap inwardly facing surface in said flap lifted state.
 4. Method, comprising: increasing the information carrying area on an article holding and displaying package by providing a flap body on a portion of a major surface of the package responsive to a manual operation of lifting forces at an unsecured end region for flipping-up the flap body at its unsecured region and bending the flap body about a flexible hinge defined at an opposite secured end to expose the inwardly facing wall surface of the flap body and reveal a portion of the packaging obscured by the flap body in its unlifted state such that indicia information carried on the inwardly facing wall surface of the flap body and indicia information in the portion of the packaging obscured by the flap body is available for viewing.
 5. The method as defined in claim 4 further comprising configuring and arranging the article holding and displaying package with a see-through material forming an enclosed interior cavity for carrying a desired article for viewing from the outside of the package.
 6. The method as defined in claim 5 further comprising locating a cardstock insert carrying information on the interior of the package for viewing from the outside of the package apart from the portion obscured by the flap body.
 7. The method as define din claim 6 further comprising configuring the flap body as a pocket for holding a cardstock insert carrying first information for viewing through the outwardly facing wall surface of the flap body in its unlifted state and for carrying second information for viewing through the inwardly facing wall surface of the flap body in its lifted state and for viewing the information in the obscured portion of the packaging revealed in the flap body lifted state.
 8. Packaging for an electronic device, comprising: a first pre-shaped cover part; a second pre-shaped cover part; said first and second pre-shaped cover parts being configured and shaped for engagement with one another and forming an enclosed inner cavity there-between and arranged for carrying a desired article; a flap body arranged in overlapping alignment with at least a portion of an outward facing major surface of one of said first and second pre-shaped cover parts and bendable about a flexible hinge between a closed position such that a first major surface of said flap body is outwardly facing and visible and said at least a portion of said outwardly facing major surface of said one of first and second pre-shaped cover parts is covered by said flap body and not visible, and in the flipped-up open position such that a second major surface oppositely disposed from said major surface of said flap body is positioned in an outwardly facing direction and visible, and said at least a portion of said outwardly facing major surface of said one of first and second pre-shaped is exposed and visible.
 9. The packaging as defined in claim 8 further comprising said flap body being suitably configured with a pocket for receiving and holding a cardstock insert.
 10. The packaging as defined in claim 9 further comprising said flap body being constructed of a flexible transparent material such that a first major surface of said cardstock insert is visible through said first major surface of said flap in said closed position and a second major surface of said of card insert is visible through said second major surface of said flap body in said flipped-up open position. 